Considering Solar for our new home

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prob

225 posts

Master Geek

#3369676 2-May-2025 08:39

Z Energy are not taking new customers at the moment.

I got great service (and the best price after comparing with other installers) from https://www.planetelectrical.co.nz/ - give my regards to Garry.

concordnz

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EMT (R)

#3374580 19-May-2025 09:35

What was the cost of the 10kw system without PW ?

Cogenate

56 posts

Master Geek

#3374581 19-May-2025 09:46

$23,500 for 10.8kw with 10kw inverter with Sigenergy

$20,000 for 10.8kw with Sofar

Both Sigenergy/Sofar are hybrid / battery ready systems. Don't think PW3 can be hybrid ready cause inverter is built in?

concordnz

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EMT (R)

#3374611 19-May-2025 11:18

Hybrid ready means?

Cogenate

56 posts

Master Geek

#3374634 19-May-2025 14:07

I think it just means that the inverter used for the solar will be compatible with their battery if you want to do this at a later stage. So with PW and the inverter being built in if you were to buy solar with a standalone inverter and then got the power wall later you would have to burn the cost of the inverter you bought for your solar panels.

RobDickinson

1524 posts

Uber Geek

#3375154 21-May-2025 08:48

I cant see how the PW3 inverter isnt hybrid if hybrid means its compatible with a battery!?!

It takes up to 20kw DC and can also do 7kw AC afik

richms

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#3375193 21-May-2025 10:22

I was told that hybrid meant that it could do battery/solar to a dedicated AC output without the grid there and act as a backup when I was looking.

That is not a feature that all inverters have. If it doesn't have that it needs a separate gateway to form a local grid and then everything connected between the gateway and the inverter will keep powered when the grid is down. If no gateway then it just all shuts off when the grid fails.

I have not looked at the recent tesla offering because at this stage I do not have a solar production surplus.

Richard rich.ms

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Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

RobDickinson

1524 posts

Uber Geek

#3375268 21-May-2025 14:09

PW can run off grid no problems?

(with the gateway right now but I think PW3 can do it on its own if required)

DjShadow

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#3375406 21-May-2025 19:50

I’ve just Lightforce Solar pop over and given us a quote for just over $17k for a 15 Panel setup. Price impacted due to needing a special component as we’ve got a problem with shading from the concrete chimney and our neighbours 2 doors up having tall trees which would become a problem after around 3pm. They were saying that if shade starts to cover 1 panel then it can bring down that whole section of the system.

Am currently waiting on Solarworx for a second quote but open to suggestions of other companies in the Wellington area.

timmmay

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#3375414 21-May-2025 20:12

Solarman did a good job for us recently, I'd use them again. They're a small company, one guy or maybe two now, with contracted third party installers. We paid about $15K for 21 panels 9kw with a 6kw inverter. They used one little device due to a tiny amount of shading, not sure what it was.

My only suggestion is to supervise their contracted installers closely, they're not particularly careful.

insane

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#3375477 21-May-2025 21:56

I assume these little devices are Tigo Optimisers or equivalent.

Are you guys factoring in the price of capital into these equations? The last time I ran the numbers on solar the real buyback period was easily ~15 years. And I'd have to replace my aging roof beforehand which only made the maths worse.

timmmay

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#3375481 21-May-2025 22:53

We didn't consider the cost of a loan. Some banks do 1% interest loans for a few years, then it reverts to standard mortgage rates. Payback period was about 6 - 7 years in theory for us.

Not sure what optimiser was used. They showed it to me and told me what it was but I figured it was their problem and didn't remember it.

Cogenate

56 posts

Master Geek

#3375496 22-May-2025 07:33

RobDickinson:

I cant see how the PW3 inverter isnt hybrid if hybrid means its compatible with a battery!?!

It takes up to 20kw DC and can also do 7kw AC afik

Yeah it is hybrid. What I meant was that the Powerwall has the inverter built in, so if you did it after you had solar you would have already purchased an inverter

Cogenate

56 posts

Master Geek

#3375497 22-May-2025 07:37

insane:

I assume these little devices are Tigo Optimisers or equivalent.

Are you guys factoring in the price of capital into these equations? The last time I ran the numbers on solar the real buyback period was easily ~15 years. And I'd have to replace my aging roof beforehand which only made the maths worse.

15 years is a long time, I think I was shown around 8 years. This is probably a bit optimistic so I am expecting 10-12, but that is at today's power rates as well. I suspect power costs will rise a lot within the payback period as well. We definitely got swayed by the green loans.

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